1. Technical Field
The development relates to providing cooling for electric motors.
2. Background Art
Electric motors can be used as a power source in vehicles. It is known that the motor can overheat depending on the severity of the operating condition to which it is subjected.
Most automotive vehicle manufacturers offer a variety of electric and hybrid electric vehicles for sale. The offerings differ in their weight, hauling capacity, and duty cycle. For vehicles that include an electric traction motor or a motor generator, or other high-power motor, the maximum power demands on the motor differ greatly depending on the application. The maximum power affects the cooling needs of the motor. Cooling, by circulating a liquid within an electric motor, is known in the prior art. However, cooling systems are designed for a particular motor used in a particular vehicle configuration with a particular cooling demand. For an alternate vehicle configuration that, for example, uses the same motor system but has a higher power level, greater cooling is needed. Such a system designed for a particular cooling demand must be redesigned for each cooling demand level to ensure proper heat transfer, volumetric coolant flow, and directional flow control, among other considerations.